Direct printing of images or graphic designs onto apparel such as t-shirts and hats is typically performed by a high-speed digital image printer which prints ink onto an item of apparel. In order to prevent bleeding of ink, after printing, the printed area is typically cured by way of an ultra-violet (UV) curing lamp, an infra-red (IR) curing lamp, hot air, etc. For example, baseball caps printed with an image using a digital inkjet printer may be passed through a high-temperature (e.g., 350° F.) dryer to cure the ink. Furthermore, because industrial direct digital printers typically print according to a CMYK printing process in which the colors Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black are each printed on separate layers, the printing and curing process requires several passes of the hat through the printer and dryer.
In items of apparel that include plastic or other material that melts under the high drying/curing temperatures, the curing of the printed image may actually cause damage to elements of the item of apparel. For example, a baseball cap typically is formed with a plastic insert inside the brim of the hat as a stiffener and to maintain shape the brim. When the baseball cap is subjected to the curing process, the plastic inside the brim may melt or deform, which is clearly an undesired effect. Accordingly, a need exists for a hat brim protector and shaper which prevents damage to the brim of the hat and which simultaneously operates to fix the shape of the brim during the curing process.